There are people who care

In reply to the letter from DC (Taking Care For Our Environment, 18.8.06), the letter fails to recognise the effort put in by his local Eston independent ward councillors, Coast and Country Housing and residents to improve the plantation area opposite his home.

In reply to the letter from DC (Taking Care For Our Environment, 18.8.06), the letter fails to recognise the effort put in by his local Eston independent ward councillors, Coast and Country Housing and residents to improve the plantation area opposite his home.

DC would, I'm sure, be the first to admit that improvements have been made in the last couple of years to an area that was long neglected before being inherited by Coast and Country in 2002.

I would agree that the plantation's grass does need a strim. The work will be done on a contract basis and the contractor will be confirmed very shortly.

Working together with residents, we persuaded C&C to spend around £16,000 on bow top fencing around the area as well as hundreds of pounds on thinning out and crown lifting the retained trees. This has drastically reduced the reports of anti-social behaviour in the plantation and transformed it beyond all recognition, while the Roseberry Crescent Residents' Group was inspired to form a constituted group, working with Groundwork Trust and Redcar and Cleveland Council to further improve their local area. Rest assured, DC, there are a lot of other people who care about Whale Hill.

COUNCILLOR VINCENT SMITH

Eston independent councillor and Coast and Country Housing board member